AchievePT_Don't Ignore Your Back Pain

NEWSLETTER FinishingTheRace

On Saturday April 7th, 2018 I completed my 3rd IRONMAN race! While each race is challenging to finish, this one came with an extra challenge – HIP PAIN. My hip had been bothering me for a couple of weeks heading into the race and so I dialed back my training and tried to treat it the best that I could. I figured I would just “gut it out” the day of the race. The morning of the race was filled with the normal anxiety, thinking about the kind of effort it was going to take for me to finish.

determined not to give up. I was also grateful that my hip was holding up to the challenge of “Hell Hill”. I completed the bike (2 down, 1 to go) and was off onto the run. I was doing great until about mile 3 or 4 when I felt a familiar jab into my left hip and immediately thought, “this may be a longer day than I hoped for”. Thankfully, I encountered my wife and friends again cheering me on, helping me to keep going. With

my hip pain acting up, it made me think of all the people that I see on a daily basis, that have to deal with pain that keeps them from doing things that they love, and it gave me a greater appreciation for each of you.

As I started, I felt good in the water and tried to settle in to a comfortable pace. I came out of the water to see my wife and friends cheering for me and thought, “one part down, only 2 more to go.” I got out

Finally, after many hours I crossed the finish line, exhausted and in pain, but grateful to have completed what I started. As I think back on the race, I realized that just like my race, we all need support and encouragement along the way to keep pushing when things get hard. I thought of my children and how I didn’t want to let them down by not finishing. I was grateful for my wife and friends cheering me on, believing in me and encouraging me to finish the race. Keep challenging yourself and never give up on your race! Your Friend, David Hawkins PT, CSCS

on the run and my hip continued to feel good. The race course took me up the old Pacific Coast Highway near the ocean with awesome views. The weather was great that morning and I was glad to be out on the course competing. I entered the marine base on Camp Pendleton, welcomed by armed guards and then the course got a tougher with 3 challenging hills. The first hill was the toughest and was nicknamed “Hell Hill” and I commented to many riders that, “this is where the fun starts”. Many people got off their bikes and were walking up the hill, but I was

NEWSLETTER Your Body is Trying To Tell You What's Wrong! 6 BACK CONDITIONS NOT TO IGNORE

You Can Live Active and Pain Free!

Do you feel aches and pains in your lower back? If so, you are not alone. Four out of every five Americans will suffer from back pain at some time in their lives. Without proper spine mobility, stability and alignment your back structures wear down over time, similar to tires that are out of alignment. There are many different back conditions, but here are a few common ones: 1. Lumbar or sacral radiculopathy: The result of pressure on a nerve exiting the spine. Pain, numbness and tingling can be felt down in different parts of the leg. 2. Sciatica: This comes from compression of the sciatic nerve by a muscle called the piriformis, deep in the buttock. Symptoms can radiate down the buttock and leg. 3. Spinal stenosis: This is a narrowing of the bony spinal canal which causes rubbing or pressure on nerves. Central canal stenosis is quite serious as it presses upon the spinal cord. 4. Lumbar sprain/strain: This is a common cause of low back pain due to injury of muscles and tendons.The rows of muscles that run up

and down the sides of the spinal column, are the major muscle groups usually involved in lower back injury. 5. Fractures: These are due to trauma, or sometimes occur without any injury in people with osteoporosis. 6. Spinal cord compression: This is unusual, but very worrisome and may be associated with weakness and loss of bowel/bladder control. Medication and Bed Rest Most lower back pain sufferers try over the counter drugs and bed rest. However, most self remedies will not provide the relief that you need. In fact, bed rest is the wrong thing to do, because it can weaken the spinal muscles further. Weakness in the spinal muscles is one of the main reasons for low back pain and puts you at risk for injuring your back with common activities such as lifting, bending or squatting. Most of us sit too much and this contributes to severe weakening of the back and torso muscles which are needed for a healthy back.

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Will Your BackHurtAsYouGetOlder? UNDERSTAND WHEN TO SEEK TREATMENT FOR PAIN RELIEF

If you think that growing older automatically leads to back pain, here’s some great news; it doesn’t! Many people suffer from pain, yet, they still believe their aches and pains are a natural part of aging. They’re not.

Back pain is primarily caused by four main factors: • Spinal muscle weakness • Poor muscle or joint movement • Poor posture • Lack of spinal or pelvic muscle coordination

Treating the Cause of Your Back Pain The goal of our SPINE program is to find the root cause of your pain and correct it, not just treat the symptoms. By treating the root cause of the pain, you can achieve faster, long-lasting results. We provide the most advanced and effective treatments to each of our patients in a caring, friendly environment. Our highly trained and skilled physical therapists use proven hands-on therapy techniques to help people of all ages become free of pain and get back to the activities they enjoy. If your back pain prevents you from standing for long periods, bending down to pick up objects, or getting up and down from the floor to play with your children or grandchildren it’s time to come to Achieve Physical Therapy and restore your quality of life.

Knowing the Right Expert to Help You Physical Therapists are medical musculoskeletal specialists, meaning we are the experts when it comes to the movement of the body and how the muscles, joints and skeletal structure work with one another. Effective physical therapy experts recognize that the best treatments are not modalities that depend solely on ultrasound, cold or heat therapy, but rather a skilled hands-on approach to examination and treatment. Studies have proven that manual therapy and specific exercises produce better and faster results than traditional exercise based therapy.

If you are suffering with back pain or know someone who is, call us today to discover how we can finally help you become pain free and get back to the activities you enjoy. After all, you’re as young as you feel! Get Back To Life With Laser Therapy

• Strains and Sprains • Soft Tissue Injury • Post Surgical Rehabilitation • Sports Injuries • Tendonitis & Tendonosis • Shoulder and Knee Pain • Hand and Wrist Injuries • Foot and Ankle Conditions • And Much More! Laser Therapy Relieves Pain and Inflammation Associated With

Laser therapy allows your body to utilize its own healing powers by inducing a series of healing responses in your body. During treatment you will feel soothing warmth that identifies the beginning of an 18-24 hour process of modulated cellular activity leading to decreased painand inflammation. CallToday 623-201-7210. Start recovery faster

Laser Therapy helps you get moving. Call Achieve Physical Therapy today!

PATIENT SUCCESS STORIES

“Everyone at Achieve were positive and helpful!” “I had extensive lower back pain as well as pain extending into hamstrings. Dave’s use of the foam roller helped me isolate the source of the soft tissue issues. The exercises, resistance work and stretching helped reducing the discomfort extensively. Dave offered some great options that I could take outside the facility. The re-education and in-house coaching and practice were just what I needed. Everyone at Achieve were positive and helpful.” - Keith

Relieve Pain In Minutes Try this movement if you are experiencing leg pain.

PHYSICAL THERAPY WORD SEARCH

Helps Build Leg Strength

www.simpleset.net

STRAIGHT LEG RAISE - SLR While lying or sitting, raise up your leg with a straight knee. Keep the opposite knee bent with the foot planted to the ground. Repeat 6 times on both sides.

SCIATICA CRUNCH DISK STABILIZATION YOGA TONED INCREMENTAL

FLEXIBILITY MUSCLE SQUAT TIGHTENING LIVING

ANKLE FLUID BACK PAIN

BRIDGE HAPPY WALK

KNEE FEET

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